Opera-glass and handle therefor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- -Sheet l.

A.S.ORA NE.' OPERA GLASSES AND HANDLE THEREFOR. No. 595,697. Patented De0.21,1897.

I I I l/l/Y Ill/ll WITNESSES: mi/5mm I ATT0RNEYI TN: mums Pains cc. womurno. wnsmucmm n. c.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. s. CRANE. k OPERA GLASSES AND HANDLE THEREFOR. No. 595,697.

mvErmm= ATTUBNEYS,

PMOTKLLITNQ. wnsumnm. n. c.

NiTE STATES AUGUSTUS s. CRANE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

OPERA-GLASS AND HANDLE THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,697, dated December 21, 1897.

Application filed Jnly 6, 1896- Serial No. 598,095. (No model.)

-T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS S. CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New part of this specification.

, such alinement while in the act of adjusting;

to secure an adjustable handle which will be stronger and more durable in use than those heretofore employed; to enable the adjustable handle to be folded for the purpose of packing away within a small case; to enable the glass to be turned pivotally in relation to the handle and be held at any adjustment or angle by friction, and to secure other advantage and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with th description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved handle for opera-glasses and in the arrangement and combination of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a plan of an opera-glass having my improved handle attached thereto ready for use. Fig. 2 is a view of the handle extended. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the handle. Fig. 4c is a View showing the handle folded and showing in side elevation a collar to. which the handle is attached, a focusing-screw, and other parts in connection with the opera-glass. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through said collar and focusing-screw and showing in elevation a plate adapted to be clamped ,to one of the bridges of the opera-glass. Fig. 6 is an end View of a sleeveadapted to be arranged upon the handle and showing bevel gearing or cogs at the end thereof and the glass showing certain frictional devices for holding the glass to the handle at any desired adjustment, but admitting of an easy change of position or inclination to suit the convenience.

In said drawings, A indicates an opera-glass having the ordinary bridges B B H.

O D are respectively female and male focusing-screws common in opera-glasses, and E is a collar arranged around the female screw and carrying a shank F, which extends outwardly therefrom at one side to receive an extension of the handle F. The female screw is provided with an annular series of cogs at a, which forms a bevel-gear adapted to be hinged together and certain others of which have a sliding telescopic relation tov one another, and a sleeve which serves the double function of holding the hinged members in alinement and as a medium for operating one of the focusing-screws.

F is a short shank formed on or fastened to the collar E. To said shank is hinged a section G,of uni form diameter with the shank. This said section is provided with a pin d, which works in a slot 6 of a tubular section f, the said slot and pin admitting of the said section f'being drawn outward away from the opera-glass a limited distance, uncovering the hinge-joint between the shank and section G, whereby the handle may be folded at a pointnear said opera-glass. 1 I may employ instead of the slot or pin any other means for admitting of the limited sliding action referred to.

The rotatable tubular sleeve 0 on the shank and sections F G j and having the cogs or gearing b is free to be turned when brought into connection with a finger-piece 9, also a part of the handle. The said section f is provided with a reduced portion h at its as j, which works telescopically within the hollow handpiece 7;. The link admits of the handle being folded and its members arranged side by side in a plane parallel with the principal plane of the glass. The shank and sections F G fj and the handpiece 7e are all joined and arranged so as to allow an extension of the handle F preliminary to folding, but are prevented from turning one on the other, and thus when the sections are pushed together the said handpiece will have a fixed and rigid connection with the sleeve E and glass while the rotatable finger-piece g and sleeve 0 are being turned to effect a rotation of the female screw and an adjustment of the lenses.

The finger-piece g is provided with female cogs or clutch-gearing at Z, preferably disposed at a bevel to receive male cogs or gearing formed at m upon the portion of the adjacent end of the tubular sleeve 0.

The intermeshing geared or cogged sleeve and finger-piece c g are held in operative engagement by friction with the sectional extension of thehandpicce, and in ordinary operation and use there is no danger of the hingejoints being uncovered or exposed or the gears disconnected when handling the instrument, and yet the friction is not so great as to prevent an easy telescopic sliding or a turning of the sleeve and gears to effect an adjustment of the lenses.

The hinge-joints between the parts F G and h are so formed and the said parts so rela-ted to one another as that when the handle is folded, as shown in Fig. 4, the outer extremity of the handpiece 7.; will preferably be brought about in line with the outer side of the opera-glass, as shown in said Fig. 4, to provide an arrangement that can be readily and easily packed in a case of a fairly regular and convenient shape.

It will be observed upon examination of Figs. 52, 3, and 4 that the hinge-pin of the joint in the handle nearer the focusing-screw is at right angles with the pins in the compound or link joint, and thus the members of the folding handle may be arranged side by side in a plane parallel with the principal plane of the opera-glass, as before referred to, thereby to secure a greater closeness in packing.

To secure a holding friction upon the parts B E, so that the opera-glass may be adjustably held at a proper angle with relation to the handle or in a position convenient to the eye after having been adjusted by the hand, and yet to avoid such a friction as would interfere with an easy adjustment of the lenses, I form on the collar E a small flange, as shown more clearly in Fig. 7. Said flange 1) lies in close engagement with the under side of the bridge 13, and to said bridge is fastened a clam p-plate n, which underlies the flange and clamps it to said bridge, the friction produced in the clamping operation being suflicient to hold the glass at any angle desired in relation to the handle, as will be understood; but the engagement is not so hard and firm as to prevent the desired adjustment of the opera-glass in its relation to the handle. A further object in the use of this friction-collar, to which the said shank and handle are permanently attached, is to make a more firm and rigid connection of the adjustable handle and glass than can be accomplished in any other way now known to me.

It may be observed that the collar E, though not touching the focusingscrew, as indicated in Fig. 7, and thus avoiding any friction such as will effect the turning of said focusingscrew, a slight annular space being formed between said screw and collar, will not admit of astraining and disarrangcment of the gearing and connections without bearing upon said screw, and so should the parts become more or less strained and thrown from their normal relations the bearing of the collar upon the screw thus gained will prevent fur ther derangement such as would throw the gearing apart, thus making a very rigid and durable connection of the handle to the opera glass.

In operating the device the handpiece is grasped by the hand and the handle is unfolded and the sections thereof brought into alinement. The handpicce is then pushed and the telescopic sections caused to slide on one another, so that the bevel-gears intermesh and the sleeve and the finger-piece are caused to clutch. Then by simply turning the fingerpiece g, with the fingers of the hand holding the rigid handpicce, motion is transmitted through the sleevcf to the female screw C of the opera-glass, turning the same to adjust the lenses, as will be understood. Thus by a simple unfolding and pushing action while grasping the handpiece the parts are rendered operative as a handle and train of lever-adjusting devices. My construction admits of the lenses being adjusted by turning the handle at any point between the handpiece and the opera-glass.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a handle for an opera-glass, the combination with the hinged and telescopic sections of the handle, adapted to be folded, of a rotatable sleeve having a cogged extremity adapted to intermesh with a cooperating cogged gearing upon the opera-glass, the said rotatable sleeve serving the double function of covering the joint in the handpiece extension to hold the members thereof in alinement and transmitting motion to the lens-operating screw, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with an opera -glass having the male and female lens-adjusting screws, provided with annular series of cogs, of an extensible handle having a rotatable sleeve provided with cogs at one end to engage those on the screws and a finger-piece adapted to couple with said sleeve, whereby the hand grasping the handle may turn the said finger-piece and with it the rotatable sleeve and transmit. motion to one of the screws, substantially as set forth.

3. In an opera-glass the combination with the lens-adjusting screws and a jointed handle attached to one of said screws, of a rotatable sleeve engaging one of said screws and holding the joined sections in alinement.

4. The combination with the opera-glass, having a coggedgearing of a handle, the sections of which are hinged together and have an extensible relation, substantially as described, a sleeve having cogs .to engage those of the opera-glass, and a finger-piece separable from the sleeve and adapted to enter into clutched relation thereto.

5. The combination with the opera-glass having a focusingscrew and a bridge, said screw being rotatable in its relation to said bridge, of a collar arranged around said screw and adjustable in its relation to the bridge, a handle carrying said collar, and a sleeve rotatable on said handle and adapted to engage the focusing-screw to turn the same, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the opera-glass having ahandle with folding sections, the sections of which, when in operative relation to said operaglass, are in rigid alinement and are adapted to hold the glass in position for service, saidsectional handle extending laterally away from the lens-adjusting screwof said glass, of a rotatable sleeve on said handle,which sleeve engages said adj Listing-screw and extends to an exposed hand-receiving portion of the handle and being uncovered from end to end and free of access to the hand, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination with the opera-glass having lens-adjusting means of a handle the members of which have a folding or hinged and a telescopic relation to one another and a sectional and rotary sleeve holding said members in rigid relation and adapted to communicate power to the lens-adjusting means, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the opera-glass .and its lens-adjusting means, of the folding handle having a sleeve and finger-piece adapted to be separated to admit a folding of the handle, and to be brought together to form a continuous sleeve extending to the said lensadjusting means to operate the same and to hold the members of the folding handle in aline'ment.

9. The combination with the opera-glass.

having lens-focusing means, of a handle having hinged members extending from said opera-glass and having a fixed relation thereto and a sleeve adapted to fix said members in alinement and turn on said handle and transmit motion to said focusing means whereby the individual holding the handle may turn said sleeve with the fingers and effect a turning of the focusing means.

.11. The combination with the opera-glass having lens-adjusting means, of a jointed handle parts of which fold into parallel or approximately parallel relation one to another and slide telescopically to cover the joints and hold the parts in rigid alinernent and an exterior sleeve arranged on said jointed handle and movable to and from engagement with said lens-adj ustin g means, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with the opera-glass, having lens-adjusting means, of a jointed handle having pivotal joints near the operaglass and at a distance therefrom admitting of sections of the handle folding into parallel relation with one another and with the glass, and a sectional sleeve adapted to rotate on said handle to effect an adjustment of the lens, the sleeve-sections being exteriorly disposed on said handle and movable with the sections to and from engagement with one another and with the lens-adjusting means, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination with the opera-glass having a lens-adjusting screw and a bridge B, of a collar frictionally fastened to said bridge but admitting of a limited movement of said collar on said bridge and arranged around the lens-adjusting screw so as to engage the same should the parts be abnormally strained, and a handle permanently attached to said collar, substantially as set forth.

14:. The combination with the opera-glass having the adj usting-screw and bridge, of a collar adjustably clamped to said bridge around said screw and carrying ahandle, the clamp admitting a turning of the glass with respect to the handle and a change of inclination of said handle with respect to said glass, substantially as set forth.

15. The combination with the opera-glass, having the adj llSblllg-SOI'GW C, with its bevelgear a, a bridge B, flanged sleeve E, having a sectional handpiece extension at one side and a clamp 11, of a geared sleeve and fingerpiece arranged on said sectional shank and adapted to be clutched together or separated fromone another, and a handle, all substantially as set forth.

16. The combination with the opera-glass having the male and female focusing or ad justing screws and a bridge, of a collar arranged around the female screw and in frictional engagement with said bridge, means for holding said collar in such frictional engagement with said bridge whereby suflicient friction is obtained to hold said opera-glass to its handle with sufficient security to admit of use after adjustment, a lateral extension or shank of said collar to which the handle is joined orconnected,the collar,bearing against the female screw when abnormal strain is brought to bear on said parts and serving to provide increased strength and permitting a free adjustment in relation to the handle whereby the glass may be turned into proper coincidence with the eyes, substantially as set forth.

1?. The improved opera-glass having folding and telescopic sections which are piv0tally jointed at a plurality of points to enable said sections to fold in relation to the glass and in relation to one another, the joint nearer the glass permitting the folded sections to fold upon the side of the glass and the double joint more distant from the glass having a link pivoted at its opposite ends upon said sections, the male telescopic section and the link moving longitudinally into the female section to effect a fixed alinement of the sections, the said parts being arranged and adapted to enable the operator to unfold and bring the sections of the handle into fixed alincment with one another andin operative relation to the glass by a continuous operation with one hau d While the other hand holds the glass, substantially as set forth.

18. The improved opera-glass having folding and telescopic sections which are pivotally jointed at a plurality of points to enable said sections to fold in relation to the glass and in relation to one another, the joint nearer the glass permitting the folded sections to fold upon the side of the glass and the double joint more distant from the glass having a link pivoted at its opposite ends upon said sections, the male telescopic section and the link moving together into the female section into fixed alineinent, the said sections having gear-Wheels at their opposite ends which are brought into engagement when the said sections are thus moved into fixed alinement, the said parts being arranged and adapted to enable the operator with one hand on the glass and the other on the handle to unfold said handle and bring the sections thereof into fixed alinement and the gear-wheels into engagem ent by one continuous pivotal and sliding operation, substantially as set forth.

19. The improved opera-glass handle, comprising a series of sections, one of which is the handreceiving portion or section, another an internal non-revoluble section f, attached to the opera-glass and connected to said hand-receiving portion and an external revoluble sleeve arranged between the hand portion and opera-glass and free to permit a turning at any point between and provided with a gear-wheel to engage the adjusting- SCFOW of the opera-glass, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of June, 1896.

AUGUSTUS S. CRANE.

W'itnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY. 

